Head cap liner construction for burial caskets



Sept. 12, 1967 HEAD CAP LINER CONSTRUCTION FOR BURIAL GASKETS Filed May 4, 1965 c. H. ROSS 3,340,583

' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

CARL H1 ROSS BY ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1967 c. H. Ross 3,340,583

HEAD CAP LINER CONSTRUCTION FOR BURIAL GASKETS Hit-7.723...

INVENTOR.

CARL H. ROSS ATTORNEY C. H. ROSS Sept. 12, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 4, 1965 S mm I NN I mm I w 3 $1 2 J3 E 1| N w E 0m 9 N w. m

m m s w m m R H L W R A C v; B *1 mm mm K o Nw QN v m. on N 3 AT TOR N 6% United States Patent 3,340,583 HEAD CAP LINER CONSTRUCTION FOR BURIAL CASKETS Carl H. Ross, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Crane & Breed Casket Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 4, 1965, Ser. No. 453,576 22 Claims.. (CI. 2719) This invention relates to improvements in a burial casket, and is concerned particularly with the construction and lining or upholstering of the top or head cap of the casket. The top or head cap, being a part most plainly exposed to view in any casket, heretofore demanded very careful construction and interior finishing. For this reason, considerable time and skilled labor ordinarily were expended in producing the top or head cap, this resulting in high manufacturing costs.

One object of the present invention is to provide structural improvements in a casket top or head cap, which will substantially reduce the amount of time and labor involved in producing and finishing said part.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate expensive construction and materials in producing a durable finished head cap of neat appearance, thereby to minimize manufacturing cost.

Another object is to provide an upholstered liner for the casket top or head cap, which liner is so constructed as to enable it to be securely though releasably anchored to the top or cap, expeditiously and without the use of tools, and which in like manner may be removed for the purpose of substituting therefor another liner differently decorated or upholstered to suit the preference of a purchaser, without factory assistance. The substitution therefore may quickly and easily be effected by the funeral director, or by his supplier or jobber.

A further object of the invention is to provide a liner construction having the foregoing characteristics, which may be quickly applied or removed from the cap or top by unskilled help, and wherein the use of sealing strips, gimps, tacks or equivalent fasteners is dispensed with while achieving an attractive, finished appearance where the liner meets the peripheral rim of the cap or top.

Another object is to provide a liner of the character stated, which is held in position against the inner surfaces of the cap, solely by means of stress inherent in the material of which the liner is formed.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and as illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a casket cap and a liner therefor, incorporating the improvement of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the casket cap, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and omitting the liner.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 1, and omitting the liner.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-section of the liner, taken on line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-section of the liner, taken on line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-section of the cap with the liner assembled therein.

FIG. 7 is a transverse section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

In the drawings is shown a head cap for a half-couch type casket embodying the improvements of the present invention, which improvements are applicable also to the tops of full couch type caskets, as will be explained. The head cap liner, which provides the decor for the inside of the cap or top, is synonymously referred to as the insert. The head cap, indicated by the reference numeral 10, is

3,340,583 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 usually formed of metal. The liner, 12, in the present instance may be formed of paper board or similar inexpensive material, one face of which may carry an overlay 14 of suitable decorative fabric or covering material to be exposed to view when the casket top is in open position.

The metallic head cap may comprise a substantially rectangular frame, upon which is secured a cover or dome element 16 having downwardly directed flanges 18 welded, soldered, or otherwise fixed to downwardly directed flanges 20 of the head cap frame. The joint there formed may be concealed by a fillet 22 applied exteriorly of the head cap. On the half-couch head cap, three sides of the cap carry flanges and fillets as above stated, while the fourth side, or jamb end, is finished with a metallic arch plate 24 that spans the front member 26 and the rear member 28 of the frame. Members 26 and 28 usually are identical as to size and shape. The transverse head end member 30 of the frame may be contoured in correspondency with the contour of front and rear members 26 and 28, but may be shorter in length.

The front and rear frame members 26 and 28 meet the head end member 30 to form neatly mitered joints, as at 32 of FIG. 1, which joints may be soldered, welded, or otherwise connected and finished. The arch plate 24 may carry an upper flange 34 welded to the cover or dome element 16, and a lower flange 36 which arches across the frame. Flange 36, if desired, may in some half-couch constructions perform as a jamb closing against a complementary jamb area of the foot end of the casket top.

Frame members 26, 28, and 30, are formed to provide each a head cap rim 38 adapted to close upon a rim of the casket body. Each rim 38 has an upstanding outer wall 40 meeting the inwardly directed portions of the frame members, to provide upper corner sockets 42 which, as will be explained, accommodate certain edges of the liner for holding the liner in place within the head cap. The rims 38 may be provided with upstanding inner reinforcing flanges 44 spaced from the outer walls 40. The flanges 44 also may support the liner, as will be apparent.

It may here be noted that the rim structure of the head cap is of the utmost simplicity, and includes no appurtenances or hand-applied parts to increase the cost of manufacture.

The liner for the head cap may comprise a substantially rectangular central panel 46 which is arched or bowed upwardly in approximate conformity with the configuration of dome element 16. As shown in the drawings, the center panel is of shallow truncated pyramid formation, by way of example. The pyramidal configuration presents upper lines of contact 48 to abut the inner surface 50 of the dome element, at locations intermediate the flanges 18 and the center-line of the dome element. The center panel 46 also has terminal side margins 52, and terminal end margins 54, which define the width and length dimensions, respectively, of the panel.

Referring to FIG. 4, it is noted that one of the terminal end margins 54 of center panel 46 carries a preformed downwardly and outwardly rolled or curved wing 56 of paper board or the like, having a marginal base portion 58 secured flatwise against the margin 54 of the center panel. The base portion 58 is coextensive in length with margin 54, and may be secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by means of staples, stitching, cement or otherwise. Base portion 58, shown as outwardly extended in the drawings, might as well be inwardly extended without objection. The inner surface of wing 56 carries a decorative cover material 60 which complements the cover material 14 of center panel 46.

Wing 56 has a straight outer anchor edge 62 which is 3 parallel to the base portion 58. The opposite ends 64-454 (FIG. 1) of wing 56 are not parallel to each other, but are instead cut on a curve such that said end 64 will meet adjacent ends of the side wings 66 and 68, to form neat mitered corners when the liner is finally fitted within the head cap.

The side wings 66 and 68 are constructed, shaped, and mounted upon center panel 46, substantially as explained above in describing end wing 56. The side wings are of greater length than end wing 56, of course. The straight outer anchor edges of the side wings are indicated by the numerals 70, and are receptive by the corner sockets 42-42 of FIG. 7 in the final disposition of the liner within the head cap.

In a preferred form of the invention, the anchor edges 62 and 70 of the wings 56 and 66, respectively, carry depending wing supporting panels to rest upon rims 38 and against the inside faces of walls 40, so as to maintain an elevated disposition of the anchor edges 62 and 70. The wing supporting panel for wing 56 in FIG. 6, is shown at 71. In FIG. 7, the wing supporting panels are denoted 73 and 75, and are associated with the wings 66 and 58, respectively. The wing supporting panels preferably are integral with the wings, and depend from the anchor edges thereof. As is clearly indicated upon FIGS. 6 and 7, the supporting panels while resting upon the rims 38 serve to maintain the anchor edges of the wings in substantial engagement with the corner sockets 42 of the head cap rim.

In constructing the liner for the head cap of a halfcouch type of casket, the end wing 72 Which is opposite the end wings 56 (FIGS. 4 and 5), requires special treatment in that its outer anchor edge 74 does not engage a corner socket such as 42 of FIG. 6. Instead, the edge 74 may be curved in substantial conformity with dome element 16 to abut same as in FIG. 6. Wing 72 may be said to include an integral upwardly directed flap 76, for closing the jamb end of the head cap. The flap carries a decorative cover material 14, FIG. 1, and receives lateral support from arch flange 36 (FIG. 6), when the liner is inserted in the head cap.

The opposite ends of wing 72 are cut on a curve, as was explained in describing wing 56, so as to form neat miter joints with the adjacent mitered ends of side wings 66 and 68 when the liner is in home position.

Each of the wings 56, 66, 68 and 72, may be formed of an inexpensive sheet material such as paper board, cardboard or the like, treated with the usual sizing material to impart thereto a limited amount of stiffness and hardness whereby the material may be formed or pressed to retain a roll or curvature such as is indicated at the left of FIG. 4, depicting wing 56. The board material so curved is resilient to a degree, and may be flexed to reduce the radius of the curve shown, in applying the insert to the head cap.

In applying the insert, the workman may invert the metallic head cap, and drop the insert bodily into the cap with flap 76 abutting the arch plate flange 36. Then, the side wings 66, 68, and end wing 56, may be grasped and flexed to reduce the radius of the curvatures until the depending wing supporting panels and the anchor edges of the wings may be directed into the cap past the reinforcing flanges 44, to assure a seated position of the anchor edges within the corner pockets 4242. Upon seating of the wings at pockets 42, the inherent resiliency of the wings will exert an upward force against center panel 46, aided by flanges 44, to place said panel in abutment with the inner face 50 of dome element 16, along the contact lines 48 of the center panel. The marginal side portions 52 of the center panel, and that end margin 54 which is remote from arch plate 24, will take a position adjacent to the dome flanges 18, FIGS. 6 and 7.

The procedure above specified complete the installation of the liner in a half-couch head cap. The installation can be completed in less than two minutes by an unskilled person, without the use of tools of any kind. Thus, the funeral director, his apprentice, or any jobber of burial caskets might easily and quickly apply to a head cap, a liner of the purchasers choice. If an exchange of liners is necessary, the same unskilled person may quickly remove an installed liner by simply grasping and contracting the curved wings, to the extent of permitting the wing edges 70 and 62 to pass the reinforcing flanges 44 in the downward direction, whereupon the liner will recede bodily from the interior of the head cap. Replacement with a different liner of the purchasers choice, involves the simple procedure outlined in the next preceding paragraph.

In the case of a full couch casket top, the sides and both ends of the top will have rims and flanges such as 38 and 44, thereby making possible the application of a liner in which the sides and both ends have wings similar to the wings 66, 68 and 56, with no flap such as 76 involved. In the case of the full couch top, the four identical wings will be receptive in corner pockets such as 42, all around the casket top.

The material of which the liner constituents is constructed may be plain or corrugated. The plain or solid board material is preferred, as it usually possesses the desired stiffness and resiliency, and is better suited for cutting and forming. Also, the plain or solid board material may be readily obtained as laminated sheeting, which has some desirable characteristics rendering it easily handled, formed, fitted, and receptive of overlay material for covering.

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the structural details of the device, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A liner for application to a casket head cap, which head cap comprises a pair of spaced side rims and an end rim to overlie a casket body, and means including a cover to span the side rims and to provide a shallow chamber defined by said side and end rims, said side and end rims each comprising an upstanding outer wall having upper and lower inturned portions providing upper and lower corner sockets exposed within the chamber; said liner comprising: a center panel having opposed side margins and at least one end margin; a plurality of resilient wings, one each depending from the side and end margins of the center panel, said wings each having an outer anchor edge and a pair of opposed mitered ends, said wings each being of a flexible inherently resilient sheet material preformed to curve downwardly and outwardly in roll formation from a margin of the center panel to the outer anchor edge of the wing, the span of the side wings being normally greater than the side rim span of the head cap, whereby application of the liner to the chamber of the head cap necessitates stressed contraction of the side wing rolls for entry of the anchor edges of the wings between the side rims, said anchor edges at final disposition being upwardly directed toward the plane of the center panel, to engage the upper corner sockets of the side rims under stress, with the center panel abutting the inside of the head cap cover.

2. The liner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the anchor edge of the end wing is adapted to engage under stress the upper corner socket of the end rim, to position the mitered ends of the end wing in substantial coincidence with adjacent mitered ends of the side wings; and means associated with the center panel to preclude endwise bodily shifting of the liner in one direction relative to the head cap.

3. The liner as set forth in claim 1, wherein each Wing at its anchor edge carries a depending wing support panel to stand upon the lower inturned portion of the rim while supporting the anchor edge of the wing in elevated position at the upper corner socket of the rim.

4. A liner for application to a casket head cap, which head cap comprises a pair of spaced side rims, a transverse end rim, a transverse arch plate opposite the end rim, and means including a cover to span the rims and the arch plate and to provide a shallow chamber defined by said rims and arch plate, said side and end rims of the cap each comprising an upstanding outer wall having upper and lower inturned portions providing upper and lower corner sockets exposed within the chamber; said liner comprising: a central panel having opposed side margins and opposed end margins; a plurality of resilient wings, one each depending fromsaid margins of the center panel, one of said wings including an upstanding flap to abut the arch plate interiorly of the chamber, and the remaining wings each having an outer anchorage edge and a pair of opposed mitered ends, said remaining wings each being of a flexible inherently resilient sheet material preformed to curve downwardly and outwardly in roll formation from a margin of the center panel to the outer anchor edge of the wing, the span of the wings being normally greater than the overall dimensions of the head cap, whereby application of the liner to the chamber of the head cap necessitates stressed contraction of the wing rolls for entry of the anchor edges of the wings past the rims and into the chamber, said anchor edges at final disposition being engaged in the upper corner sockets of the rims under stress, with the center panel abutting the inside of the cover, and the flap of said one wing abutting the arch plate of the head cap interiorly of the chamber.

5. The liner as set forth in claim 4, wherein stressed contraction of the wing rolls directs the anchor edges of the wings toward a plane which includes the center panel.

6. A liner for application to a casket head cap, which head cap comprises a pair of spaced side rims and an end rim to overlie a casket body and means including a cover to span the side rims and to provide a shallow chamber defined by said side and end rims, said side and end rims each comprising an upstanding outer wall having upper and lower inturned portions providing upper and lower corner sockets exposed within the chamber, and an upwardly directed reinforcing flange on the lower inturned portion of each rim wall, each flange being disposed in spaced parallelism wit-h its associated rim wall; said liner comprising: a center panel having opposed side margins and at least one end margin; a plurality of resilient wings, one each depending from the side and end margins of the center panel, said wings each having an outer anchor edge and a pair of opposed mitered ends, said wings each being of a flexible inherently resilient sheet material preformed to curve downwardly, outwardly, then upwardly in roll formation, to direct the anchor edge thereof upwardly toward the plane of the center panel, the span of the side wings being normally greater than the side rim span, whereby application of the liner to the chamber of the head cap necessitates stressed contraction of the side wing rolls for entry of the anchor edges of the side wings between the side rims of the head cap, said anchor edges at final disposition being upwardly engaged in the upper corner sockets of the side rims under stress, with adjacent portions of the side wings bearing against the reinforcing flanges of the side rims, and with the center panel abutting the inside of the head cap cover.

7. The liner as set forth in claim 6, wherein the anchor edge of the end wing is adapted to engage the upper corner socket of the end rim under stress, to position the mitered ends of the end wing in substantial coincidence with the mitered ends of the side wings; and means associated with the center panel to preclude endwise bodily shifting of the liner away from the end rim of the head cap.

8. As a burial casket component: a head cap formed to provide a shallow chamber, comprising a pair of side rims and an end rim to overlie a casket body, and means including a cover for spanning the side rims and defining the depth of the chamber, said side and end rims each comprising an upstanding outer wall having upper and lower inturned portions providing upper and lower corner sockets exposed within the chamber; a decorative liner for the head cap chamber, comprising a center panel having opposed side margins and at least one end margin; a plurality of resilient wings, one each depending from the side and end margins of the center panel, said wings each having an outer anchor edge and a pair of opposed mitered ends, said wings each being of a flexible inherently resilient sheet material preformed to curve downwardly and outwardly in roll formation from a margin of the center panel to the outer anchor edge of the wing, the span of the side wings being normally greater than the side rim span, whereby application of the liner to the chamber of the head cap requires stressed contraction of the side wing rolls for entry of the anchor edges of the wings between the side rims, said anchor edges at final disposition being engaged in the upper corner sockets of the side rims under stress, with the center panel abutting the inside of the cover.

9. The device as set forth in claim 8, wherein each wing at its anchor edge carries a depending wing support panel to stand upon the lower inturned portion of the rim while supporting the anchor edge of the wing in elevated position at the upper corner socket of the 11m.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 8, wherein the anchor edge of the end wing engages the upper corner socket of the end rim under stress, to position the mitered ends of the end wing in substantial meeting relationship with adjacent mitered ends of the side wings; and means associated with the center panel to preclude endwise bodily shiftingof the liner away from the end rim of the head cap.

11. As .a burial casket component: a head cap formed to provide a shallow chamber, comprising a pair of side rims and an end rim to overlie a casket body, and means including a cover for spanning the side rims and defining the depth of the chamber, said side and end rims each comprising an upstanding outer wall having upper and lower inturned portions providing upper and lower corner sockets exposed within the chamber; an upwardly directed reinforcing flange on the lower inturned portion of each rim wall, each flange being disposed in spaced parallelism with its associated rim wall; a decorative liner for the head cap chamber, comprising a center panel having opposed side margins and at least one end margin; a plurality of resilient wings, one each depending from the side and end margins of the center panel, said wings each having an outer anchor edge and a pair of opposed mitered ends, said wings each being of a flexible inherently resilient sheet material preformed to curve downwardly and outwardly in roll formation from a margin of the center panel to the outer anchor edge of the wing, the span of the side wings being normally greater than the side rim span, whereby application of the liner to the chamber of the head cap requires stressed contraction of the side wing rolls for entry of the anchor edges of the side wings between the side rims, said anchor edges at final disposition being engaged in the upper corner sockets of the side rims under stress, with the side wings bearing against the reinforcing flanges of the side rims to maintain the stressed condition of the wings, for yieldingly projecting the center panel against the inside of the cover.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 11, wherein the anchor edge of the end wing engages the upper corner socket of the end rim under stress, to position the mitered ends of the end wing in substantial meeting relationship with adjacent mitered ends of the side wings; and means associated with the center panel to preclude endwise bodily shifting of the liner away from the end rim of the head cap.

13. As a burial casket component: a head cap formed to provide a shallow chamber, comprising a pair of side rims and an end rim to overlie a casket body, an arch plate opposite the end rim, and means including a cover for spanning the side rims, the end rim, and the arch plate, and defining the depth of the chamber, said side and end rims each comprising an upstanding outer wall having upper and lower inturned portions providing upper and lower corner sockets exposed within the chamber; a decorative liner for the head cap chamber, comprising a center panel having opposed side margins and opposed end margins; a plurality of resilient wings, one each depending from said margins of the center panel, one of said Wings including an upstanding flap to abut the arch plate interiorly of the chamber, and the remaining wings each having an outer anchorage edge and a vpair of opposed mitered ends, said remaining Wings each being of a flexible inherently resilient sheet material preformed to curve downwardly and outwardly in roll formation from a margin of the center panel to the outer anchor edge of the wing, the span of the wings being normally greater than the overall dimensions of the head cap, whereby application of the liner to the chamber of the head cap necessitates stressed contraction of the wing rolls for entry of the anchor edges of the wings past the rims and into the chamber, said anchor edges at final disposition being engaged in the upper corner sockets of the rims under stress, with the center panel abutting the inside of the cover, and the flap of said one wing abutting the arch plate interiorly of the chamber.

14. The structure as set forth in claim 13, wherein the lower inturned portion of each rim outer wall is provided with an upturned flange spaced from said outer wall, to provide support for each wing along a line parallel to and spaced from the upper corner socket engaged by the wing anchor edge.

15. A decorative liner for application to the head cap of a bural casket, comprising in combination: a center panel having opposed side margins and opposed end margins; a plurality of resilient wings, one each depending from the side margins of the center panel, said wingseach having an outer anchorage edge and a pair of opposed mitered ends, said wings being of a flexible inherently resilient sheet material preformed to curve downwardly, outwardly, then upwardly in roll formation, to direct the anchorage edges thereof upwardly toward the plane of the center panel.

16. The liner as set forth in claim 15, wherein the initial span of the wings exceeds the overall Width of a head cap to be lined.

17. A decorative liner for application to the head cap of a burial casket, comprising in combination: a center panel having opposed side margins and opposed end margins; a plurality of resilient wings, one each depending from said margins of the center panel, one of said wings including an upstanding flap elevated to the approximate level of the center panel, and the remaining wings each having an outer anchorage edge and a pair of opposed mitered ends, said remaining wings each being of a flexible inherently resilient sheet mate-rial preformed to curve downwardly, outwardly, then upwardly in roll formation, to direct the anchorage edge thereof upwardly toward the plane of the center panel.

18. The liner as set forth in claim 17, wherein the anchorage edge carries a depending wing support panel directed away from the plane of the center panel,

19. The liner as set forth in claim 17, wherein the initial span of those wings depending from the side margins of the center panel, exceeds the overall width of a head cap to be lined.

20. The liner as set forth in claim 17, wherein the center panel is of shallow truncated pyramid formation presenting lines of contact to abut an interior surface of the head cap.

21. A decorative liner for application to the head cap of a burial casket, comprising in combination: a center panel of shallow truncated pyramid formation presenting lines of contact to abut an interior surface of the head cap, said panel having opposed side margins and opposed end margins; a plurality of resilient wings eachhaving a base portion, an outer anchorage edge, and a pair of opposed mite-red ends; means fixing the base portions of the wings to the margins of the panel whereby each wing depends from a panel margin, said wings being of a flexible inherently resilient sheet material preformed to curve downwardly and outwardly in roll formation, with the span of opposed wings exceeding the overall dimensions of the head cap.

22. The liner as set forth in claim 21, wherein the anchorage edges of the Wings as preformed, extend in the direction of the mean plane of the center panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,664,615 l/1954 Hillenbrand et al 27-19 2,867,030 l/1959 Hillenbrand 2719 3,077,016 2/1963 White 27--19 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

W. E. KAMM, Assistant Examiner. 

21. A DECORATIVE LINER FOR APPLICATION TO THE HEAD CAP OF A BURIAL CASKET, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A CENTER PANEL OF SHALLOW TRUNCATED PYRAMID FORMATION PRESENTING LINES OF CONTACT TO ABUT AN INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE HEAD CAP, SAID PANEL HAVING OPPOSED SIDE MARGINS AND OPPOSED END MARGINS; A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT WINGS EACH HAVING A BASE PORTION, AN OUTER ANCHORAGE EDGE, AND A PAIR OF OPPOSED MITERED ENDS; MEANS FIXING THE BASE PORTIONS OF THE WINGS TO THE MARGINS OF THE PANEL WHEREBY EACH WIND DEPENDS FROM A PANEL MARGIN, SAID WINGS BEING OF A FLEXIBLE INHERENTLY RESILIENT SHEET MATERIAL PREFORMED TO CURVE DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY IN ROLL FORMATION, WITH THE SPAN OF OPPOSED WINGS EXCEEDING TH E OVERALL DIMENSIONS OF THE HEAD CAP. 